The first time I wore makeup to school I was 12-years-old. I remember a boy in my grade approaching me to ask why I was wearing “so much makeup.” I was wearing brown eyeliner. Nothing else. No face makeup. Not even mascara. What a turd that kid was.As I took several awkward seconds to formulate my juicy comeback, my friend appeared and defended my smeared on ‘06 CoverGirl eyeliner "borrowed" from my mom’s makeup bag.

As an adult and I've come a long way but there's still much about beauty trends that I don't understand and couldn't replicate even with the best light and mirrors. My badass friend is now a professional cosmetologist and 'til this day she comes to my rescue, taking pity on me, particularly, during special occasions. Knowing my affinity for makeup never evolved my girlfriend steers me to products that don't break the bank but are also fun and good quality.My meager collection (I'm too old to keep stealing my mom's stuff)has grown significantly and I use a lot of e.l.f. and NYX to date but am certainly on the look out for new affordable-quality makeup lines.

Oh, and as for the young boy in my story, he probably grew up to become one of those guys who retweets photos of celebrities wearing the no-makeup-makeup look and asking why he can't find a woman so naturally beautiful.

1. e.l.f. Eyeliner - $6 and 2. e.l.f. Mascara-$3

I personally only use darker eye makeup if I am going out with my ladies or if I am going to a big event like a wedding, but over the years I have built up an army of eyeliners and mascaras. It has gotten a little out of hand. Now I only want to buy inexpensive eyeliner, but of course it needs to work just as well as my other soldiers.

Then I found e.l.f. cosmetics eyeliners and mascaras. All of e.l.f. eyeliners range from $1.00 to $6.00 and mascaras range from $2 to $6 dollars! Plus, no runs and no clumps. Honestly, how can you beat that?

3. NYX Matte Lipstick - $5.99

I was introduced to NYX which is certainly on the more affordable side. Now,I purchase a lot of NYX Professional Makeup lipsticks. They are long-lasting and they have a lot of different lip cosmetics. NYX also has a variety of shades that span from a Coachella vibe to a more of a Rock on the Range look.

4. e.l.f. High Definition Powder - $6

I end my routine with a finishing powder, and for that I use HD Power.

5. e.l.f. Face Primer - $6

e.l.f. has any type of primer that you may need for a very inexpensive price. I personally have rosy-red cheeks (not in a cute Princess Aurora way, I have much more roses than I prefer), so I use the green Blemish Control primer as well as the lavender Tone Adjusting primer.

My next step depends on what’s on my schedule that day, so if it’s going to be a more active day or a more relaxing stay-in type of day then I will not wear any foundation at all. I would like to think this is what contributed to why I never had bad acne on my face.

*But don’t think I didn’t suffer at all, because when I did get a pimple it would be a huge mama directly on the tip of my nose. It may have just been one at a time, but it was always bouncin’ just as hard as Bill Murray’s zit in Osmosis Jones.

6. e.l.f Flawless Finish Foundation - $6

Last, but certainly not least, I use e.l.f. Cosmetics Flawless Finish foundation.

Have any favorite cheap makeup products not listed here? Please share!